When will teething finally be over? Every child is different, says Alan Greene, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif., and author of Feeding Baby Green.

In general, each tooth takes around two months to come in, but teeth tend to move for a day and then stop for a day or more before moving again. It’s most common for two teeth to come in at the same time, but that can vary, Dr. Greene says.

Tips for Teething Relief

What can you do about toddler teething? These strategies can give toddlers with sore mouths some relief:

Offer teethers. It’s time to dig out the teethers you used when your child’s first teeth were coming in, but this time choose the teethers that are long enough to reach and soothe the back of your child’s mouth.

Try tart cherries. Tart cherries have natural anti-inflammatory properties. Some research suggests that about 15 cherries have about the same effect of giving your child Motrin, Greene says. “Dried tart cherries or tart cherry juice is a good way to go,” he says.

Go for soft, cold foods. It’s soothing for your child to chew on something soft and cool, such as a bagel, Greene says.

Use pain relievers. Over-the-counter children’s Tylenol or children’s Motrin should help your teething toddler feel more like his old self.

Try topical oral gels. Topical anesthetic gels will numb the area, but in Greene’s experience kids tend to dislike the way their mouths feel with the gel. Also, relief only lasts about an hour and it can lower your child’s gag reflex temporarily and make it easier for her to choke on food, he says. But if you have it on hand and other techniques aren’t working, it may be worth a try.

Thankfully, the movement of the second set of molars isn’t as painful as the first teeth for most kids, Greene says. However, some toddlers may be more uncomfortable than they were as babies.

Whether your child seems to be taking teething in stride or is having a harder time with it, put these techniques to work and know that once these teeth come in, teething is over for good.

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